Radar

[hazzard]

How many of you have radar? Do you think it is a must have for a boat fishing the great lakes? I am looking at a jrc 1000 is this a ok unit ?

[pioneer]

Duke, I have Raymarine and love it. Don't know much about JRC. I find that Radar is not a "must" have but once you have it you will never be without one again. Look at Raymarine, Garmin and Furuno. Garmin is newer to the game. When I come over we will go over some Radar stuff. I wish you could come out and see it, you would like it.

[fishon]

i also have the same unit. it works fine, but in my opinion its totally unnecessary...in the years i have had it, i used it maybe twice, other than just playing with it. a good GPS does more for you than a radar ever will. whether you have radar or not, you're not going to motor 30 MPH in a fog bank, although some do. i just never felt comfortable doing that even with radar. slow and steady with a good GPS will get you home safely.

[mojorisin]

I have a JRC 1600CP and it has worked flawlessly for me since I put in on the boat in 2004.

My opinion differs from Paul in regard to a radar usage. Mine is on 100% of the time when I run out in the dark and run in, in the dark. Of course it is on in the fog too. It has saved me from running into the sailboat bouys many times and it is also nice to see exactly how far boats are away from you in the dark because that is hard to tell always. I run far away and want to setup far away from others and with radar, I know exactly haw far they are away from me.

In the fog, it is worth its weight in gold. It is especially nice tracking the boats around you that do not have radar and do not know you are there. You can adjust to them long before they even know you are there. Having that capability while fishing is a great thing versus just getting back and forth.

I personally would never own another boat without radar. I'd be lost without mine. My radar gets tons of usage every year. Put a radar with a good GPS and even a loudhailer and you are golden in most conditions.

[pioneer]

Plus alot of units now a days have GPS overlay so you can see bottom contours and where boats are as well. I also run mine 100% of the time in the dark like Joe does.

[relay]

I am with Mojo on this one. I don't run my all the time but in the fog, and running in and out in the dark is a must. I had the same unit on my boat and never had a problem with it in 7 years.

It's like an American Express card. Don't be caught without it.

Relay

[mojorisin]

My 1600CP is also a chartplotter with a chip that shows contours. Active waypoints show up on the radar unit too which is nice when you do get back to the gap and it is fogged in thick.

Relay, remember us playing dodge boats last year after prefishing the Vet's outing? The fog moved in and we were straight out due to having limited fishing time before getting the Vets and radar was essential for getting through the maze of boats on the way back in.

BTW, I believe it is public knowledge that I'm a menace in the fog, at least I was once. I'm pretty much a menace period I guess

[ChampionShip]

May 11, 2010 10:00:33 GMT -5 @mojorisin said:

My 1600CP is also a chartplotter with a chip that shows contours. Active waypoints show up on the radar unit too which is nice when you do get back to the gap and it is fogged in thick.

Relay, remember us playing dodge boats last year after prefishing the Vet's outing? The fog moved in and we were straight out due to having limited fishing time before getting the Vets and radar was essential for getting through the maze of boats on the way back in.

BTW, I believe it is public knowledge that I'm a menace in the fog, at least I was once. I'm pretty much a menace period I guess

Amen to that last part!

[sarahlindsey]

I like my JRC 1500 but it is frustrating to set up on a nice troll in the fog with 3 or 4 other boats all running radar only to have the blind men cut across our lines.

I had a guy in a sail boat turn 3 times right at me in the fog getting closer each time. I finally dropped the boat out gear and backed it down to a complete stop. I asked Dad "Hey, you want to see a wreck?" He looked up and the guy cruised by about 10 yards in front of my bow. I yelled nice "fog horn" he tooted once and was gone

[remedy]

I have a JRC 1500CP (think that's the unit Mojo is referencing that he has?) - it's done a great job...JRC is no longer in the small radar business as far as making and selling them, but they do still service them and have a facility in Seattle with a shop that is fabulous and will still work on them or advise if you're working on it yourself. I had an issue with the scanner plug in the head unit coming loose from the circuit board last year and they were incredible with the options and helpfulness as we worked thorough it. At that time they did make reference that they were considering getting back into the "small boat radar", but i haven't seen any further developments with that since then.

I'm not familiar with the 1000 model, but JRC is a quality product for sure and all radars are worth their weight in gold in the dark or in the fog. Must have equipment for the great lakes? it probably won't put any more fish in the cooler, but I think if you have it and know how to use it, it can certainly save your life or an insurance claim at the least, so i would say that it is essential for me...

[mojorisin]

I just checked my records and my JRC is an 1800 CP (color unit). I'm no good with model numbers.

[clam2]

The use of radar on several weekend trips last year allowed for me to fish and stay safe out there among the other boats......

I have a RayMarine 24 mile radar and although it is an older model it has performed very well.......On one very foggy and rough trip with Krash and Carol last season, I went up onto the upper helm and drove the entire trip while scanning the radar for boats in the area and leaving them to work the spread and enjoy reeling in and netting fish......

It pinpointed each and every boat in my area and allowed for me to tell whether the neighboring boat was powering or trolling and in what direction and distance from the boat.........

I would add that it was an awesome electronic to have when powering out many mornings through the myriad of boats all over the Port Washington area on busy weekends....

Another nice benefit to the radar system was the fact that it actually marked the outline of the harbor gap without the benefit of being having a GPS/plotter on the upper helm last year (have one there now)......

Now that I have radar on a boat for the first time ever I probably would never feel comfortable without one on a boat under certain conditions and playing the guessing game out there as to the intentions or location of other boats more so than my own.....

As my driver's ed instructor told me in high school, always leave yourself an out......

P.S. Keep that smiting coming!!! (lmao)

[relay]

Mojo: I remember that day very well. I really never thought about using my radar early morning or late evening until I went on a trip with you. I saw you use it and said to myself, Dahhh, why have I never done that. From that time on, I fired mine up.

Try it, you will like it.

[fatcat]

My Si-tex is on every night and anytime visiblity drops to a mile or less. Will never own a boat without one. Wonderful at night when running in, because boat running lights blend into the shore lights, and the radar is great for seeing these boats and the clowns with no lights, like charter captains trying to sneek out of port without leading a parade.

[britate]

I think radar is awesome if its within your budget. It's like 4WD, you don't need it often, but when you do, you are sure glad you have it!